THE CONNECTION owes much to the standard cops and gangster films that have come before it. This isn’t a bad thing entirely, just having seen so many crime films, there’s a familiar tone that’s hard to shake. You can only show a determined cop hunt down a criminal kingpin and his cohorts so many times without feeling like you’ve seen this chase before. THE CONNECTION doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen before but does it with confidence and style.
Inspired by real events and acting as a side-sequel to William Friedkin’s THE FRENCH CONNECTION, Cédric Jimenez’s THE CONNECTION (LE FRENCH in it’s native country) follows new police magistrate Pierre Michel as he attempts to take down the heroin trade out of Marseille. His prime target is the notorious Zappa, but figuring out a way to pin him to the crimes is harder for Pierre than he thought. As a result, both sides lose men as the fight rages from France to New York.
Jean Dujardin’s Pierre is 100% incorruptible, and yet there’s still a level of cool to his grounded demeanor so that he isn’t some annoying boy scout. On the opposite end, Gilles Lellouche gives Zappa a heavy screen presence without being an evil caricature. In fact, both characters approach their jobs in a similar fashion. Their families are extremely important to each of them, but at the end of the day they know they have a job to do. Adding to the similarity between the two men is the fact that they look strikingly similar to one another. It’s an interesting dynamic initially but is something that gets overly spotlighted throughout the 2 hour and 15 minute duration.
Even though the film takes place in 1975, surprisingly, there are few instances of actual songs from the period – one scene that shows the burden of Pierre’s job and its psychological effects does effectively use Velvet Underground’s “I’m Set Free.” Instead, a low electronic pulse is provided by composer Guillaume Roussel. His score seems right at home with the 70’s plaid suits, vintage cars, and disco clubs. What works equally as well is the art direction. A hazy warm glow coats many of the scenes creating a fresh backdrop compared to the murky, grey underworlds we typically see in crime films. Lush seascapes and rocky cliff-side roads give the film a uniquely French look. These elements do provide a somewhat new and unique air, but all of this can only amount to so much given a story structure that feels old hat.
Unlike the gritty world of crooked cops in Friedkin’s 1971 film, THE CONNECTION tries to be something greater and… well… sort-of succeeds. It’s an amiable attempt at being an entry into the “crime epic” category – a genre popularized by Scorsese and Coppola. It’s certainly epic by design, but never truly earns that title. Nothing is blatantly wrong with the film and yet nothing truly shines either. Like the character Dujardin plays, you could say THE CONNECTION is serviceable.
Overall score: 3 out of 5
THE CONNECTION is now playing exclusively at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater in St. Louis
